Yeah I'm just talking about the tube. On Alta's site the tube is $133.

 

yea that's just nuts, it used to be much cheaper.

 

If it does make a difference, it's probably slight, but it's larger diameter and I think that the smooth interior surface causes less turbulence in the air going into the engine so maybe it helps some. It's also some nice engine bay bling. My current R53 already had one when I bought it, I never thought about it with my first one but I'd probably do it again.

The M7 intake is very nice, my dad has it on his car and it looks great and makes a nice noise.

 

Go with the DDMworks as they are the one that originally designed the box intake like that, the M7 copied it after selling the DDM. But the DDM not only fits better, but is also made of real stainless steel so it will never rust. We also offer it with different filter options.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/ddm-int...per-s-r53.html

You don't need the hose as you won't notice any power gains in your butt dyno. But the aftermarket hoses are slightly larger diameter.

FYI we have FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $150 right now.

 

I hate the stainless steel look, much prefer the powercoated black. But you say the DDMWorks fitment is better?

 

Yes, you'll be happy you have it for the job. As for the M7 Speed "Exact Fit" Cold Air Intake System, it is a great choice and many people have been happy with the product/fitment. We have had no complaints about it. As for the tensioner stop, the ALTA Performance Tension Damper eliminates tensioner bounce and adds more tension than the OEM dampener. It's also fairly priced. It's the one we run on our R53.

 

According to Way's site, the DDM can be ordered in Black.

 

Most CAI systems are more about sound and looks than power....
Admittedly, the sc sound can be great....
One tip...the extremely open style sound great around town...but on a longer trip, and get tiresome...
So many like the enclosed, like the JCW, the Dinian, etc are real sealed cold air intakes, that add sound when WOT, but are nice at cruise...kinda depends on how you use the car...and your personality...if you like loud, than it might not matter.
Open ones, like alta/alta style are more of a HAI, hot air intake, and make more sound, but use warm underhood air...much debate, but IMO defeats any gains and makes things worse....
As for the hose....IMO the silicone ones is more trouble than they are worth unless yours is splitting....
The inside of a silicone hose/tube is actually rougher, and they require TRIMMING and careful fitting to stay on...just bolt it on...engine shifts, and the lower end slips off...and you are sucking hot, unfiltered air into the motor....sure the oem hose looks odd...but how many hours did an engineer spend making it to be better than a simple hose? Unless you need a new hose, or want the look,IMO, stay stock, and save the $130-150.
Simply put, just like non-oem sc boots, zero gain in reality for many drawbacks and more $$$....and what's the point of that?! Many things can be done to dress up the underhood look,and the $$ can be better spent IMO.
And look honestly at the sc pulley removal directions...if disconnected an engine mount, jacking up a motor balanced on an oil pan sounds scary, the $300 to have it done at a mini shop might be worth it...and tool rentals can take months...folks tend to sit on them...cause the actual job scares them..look at the sheer number of unused pulliey kits that are sold...tip..the bolts on the new pulley, use a dab of loc-tite..if the pulley slips, the sc shaft is wrecked, and the bolts on the locking ring need to be very tight....
And the room to work on an auto (if you have one) is much tighter than a stick.

 

Looking at the picture posted of the M7 intake, there appears to be a fitment problem. The battery terminal looks like it's crammed at an angle. Anyone else see this? Is that the way it's going to install or did they just not hook up the terminal before snapping the pic?

 

I have the DDM in black, 15% pulley and love the whine from the front. Did a KN filter.
I removed a resonator piece and I probably won't but the silicone hose that replaces the stock part to the throttle body, it's actually smooth on the inside, just tough to get over the intake.

 

Yes all the DDM R53 intakes are stainless. The black ones are the stainless ones just powdercoated. And yes it fits better, and the lid on top fits better as it has a nice set of 6 screws to hold it down.

 

So does the DDM intake have a rail for the battery box? It seems that's the only thing the M7 lacks in terms of fitment; the battery box gets kinda shoved over without a rail to secure it like on the stock airbox.

 

Yes, the DDM box has a tab for the battery + terminal.

While you may be able to save a few bucks by getting the M7 over the DDM box, I would always recommend going with the original manufacturer that spent all the time to R&D the unit and not the guy that ripped off somebody else's work only to undercut the pricing of the original quality unit.

 

DDM it is. I didn't realize M7 ripped them off.

 

At this point, m7 is under different ownership......at one point the original owner portrayed themselves as a premium provider of the best at a matching price....as the industry consolidated, they needed more products, and folks copied each other, or used others ideas as inspiration.... While m7 does have a new owner, a few posts early on showed they were still learning about MINI's...
DDM has been around a long time. IMO if you can afford the extra $, then go for it. Simply put, these cars were, while similar, not identical.... Small changes were made over the years. And minor changes like moving the motor over 1 inches for an auto tranny DOES make for some fitment differences under the hood, and since some parts were upgraded with better designs as the cars were in service, or in later production, other changes are common....
Most any aftermarket part might require some fiddling to fit right...heck aftermarket coolant tanks on the r53 are a similar situation....some have a off the shelf desgin that fits most cars, but some need an extra bend to connect a hose on the inlet/outlet so it fits better...guess it comes down to how ocd one wants to be over a crooked jumper plug...if you see it, and it bugs you, then the parts not for you.